The End Of The Freeman
by OfficialFlannel
Summary: [Gordon x Alyx] It wasn't supposed to end like this. The Resistance's assault on a major Combine base was supposed to go smoothly. Get in, kill the enemy, get out. But things go wrong and someone gotta make things right, even if it means they won't come home.


"Keep pushing! We're almost through the bastards!"

Gordon fired a few rounds from the pulse rifle he picked up from a dead Overwatch soldier, hitting another Combine and killing him instantly, dead before he even hit the ground. Alyx was close behind him, firing her gun as they ran. They were in a Combine base that had been increasing in activity near White Forest in the last few weeks. So of course, the Resistance members were eager to send out everyone favorite duo, the Freeman-Vance dream team. If anyone could handle clearing out the base, it was Gordon and Alyx.

Their mission was simple. Get inside the base, kill the soldiers, and get out after setting charges to blow the place to smithereens to make sure no other Combine forces would try and set back up. They charged in through a back entrance, killing any and all soldiers they saw who were also eager to kill them. Along the way, they planted bombs in every room and hallway, making sure each and every square inch of this place would be reduced to rubble when the charges went off. Gordon found the central control room and started setting up the timid charges around the room. The central control room was perfect as it was smack dab in the middle of the whole complex.

Alyx watched Gordon as he worked. Although she didn't show it, she was nervous and couldn't shake the feeling that something just wasn't right. It had been way too easy to get in here. It's like the Combine wanted them to get here and set up the bombs. She shook her head, telling herself that she was just being paranoid and tried to make small talk in order to steel her nerves.

"So what are you going to do once we get outta here?"

Gordon didn't take his eyes off the control panel, tweaking with the wiring as he replied, "I don't know, probably just take a nap. Sure could use one. You?"

"I was thinking since neither of us is busy after this, that we could do something together," Alyx looked away as she continued as though the floor was suddenly very interesting to her, "Maybe see if Barany's got any of those old VHS movie tapes that we could watch or eat dinner together in our room."

That got the scientist's attention as he turned to look at his friend, a small grin on his lips, "Why, Miss Vance! Are you asking me out on a date?"

Now it was clear as day to everyone, to Alyx herself and probably even Gordon, that she liked Gordon. From the moment they met, she felt a weird sense of companionship towards the quiet Doctor Freeman. And during their short time knowing each other, they had grown close due to fighting for their lives together. Gordon had saved her life dozens of time and she gladly returned the favor when she could. When she was dying after that Hunter attacked her, who helped save her life? Why, Gordon of course. Who helped rescue her dad from Nova Prospekt? Gordon did. She was happy to call him a friend but yearned to call him something more, no matter how hard she tried to deny it.

Alyx turned pink at hearing the slight teasing in the man's voice and she tried to ignore it, "Well, I mean. . .I wasn't," she sighed and looked back up at him "Yeah, I was."

Gordon smiled, "Cute. Okay, I'm in."

Alyx felt her heart jump and do fucking backflips as she mentally cheered. She resisted the urge to kiss Gordon right there and instead just gave him a sheepish smile, "Awesome! Let's blow this place up and get the hell outta here then."

Gordon nodded and turned his attention back to the control panel. He had wired the charges to start a count down when he pressed a button on the Combine's main computer, which would cause a facility-wide explosion as the bombs went off around it.

Just as Gordon was about to press the button to start the countdown, shots rang out behind them and he let out a grunt of pain as several bullets hit him in the side. Alyx whipped around and saw several Combine marching down the hallway towards them, weapons raised and firing at the duo. Gordon held his injured side with one arm and fired back at the soldiers with the other while Alyx quickly slammed the door and bolting it. That wouldn't lock out the Combine out, but it would at least slow them down for a while. She finally noticed Gordon had been hit and rushed over to him, worry written on her face.

"Gordon!" She noticed he was bleeding heavily and his HEV suit was more than a little damaged, "Jesus, are you okay?"

Gordon nodded and muttered through grit teeth, "Hurts like hell, but I'll be fine."

He tried to take a step towards the computer but nearly buckled as his legs gave in. Alyx caught him and steadied him. He nodded his thanks and then looked back at the door to the room as it became more and more dented in with each of the Combine's bullets. There wasn't much time. This wasn't supposed to happen. It wasn't supposed to go wrong. He looked at the computer where it awaited countdown, looked at Alyx, and back again at the computer screen. Alyx noticed his gaze turn grim as he looked at her and her heart sunk as she realized what he wanted to do.

"Gordon, no."

"Alyx-"

"No! No, fuck no! You can't stay here. If the bombs don't kill you, then the Combine will."

"Alyx, please-"

"No, we aren't-"

"ALYX!"

She stopped her arguing as she looked at Gordon, very much surprised by the usually quiet man's outburst. He gave her a sad smile and put a hand up to her cheek, caressing it softly as he whispered, "It's the only way."

Alyx shook her head frantically, gripping his hand to her face as she stuttered out, "No, You. . .You're wrong." even though they both knew he wasn't.

"The Combine's got us pinned down here." Gordon sighed, "We don't have time to fight them back and get out of here before these bombs go off. One of us has to stay behind to make sure none of the Combine escaped or disarm the bombs."

Alyx's sadness turned into slight anger as she frowned, "Why does it have to be you, huh? Why can't I do it? Why does it always have to you who makes the hard choices?"

"Because it's what heroes do," Gordon let out a dry chuckle, 'Even the reluctant ones."

Alyx didn't answer and instead pulled the scientist into a hug, no longer able to contain her emotions as she sobbed audibly. Gordon held her back as tightly as she was holding him. A loud thud interrupted their embrace, signaling the Combine forces were nearly through the doors and would be the room any minute now. Gordon changed the timer on the bombs to go off in three seconds rather than thirty before looked around for an exit for Alyx and found one: an old air duct above them. Hopefully, it would lead out of the base completely and get the girl out of harm's way when the blast went off. Gordon yanked the vent cover off and Alyx knew what his plan was. She was halfway in the vent before she stopped herself, looking back down at Gordon. Before she could stop herself, she dropped back down beside him. He looked at her with a confused and slightly worried glance, thinking she was planning to stay with him.

"Alyx, what are you doing?"

"I forget to do something before I left," Alyx stepped a bit closer to Gordon, "Something I wanted to do for a long time."

"What's th-mmph!"

Gordon's question was cut off when Alyx answered it abruptly by grabbing him by the face and kissing him. He relaxed and kissed her back, wishing for a moment that he didn't have to stay behind. But that crushing realization wouldn't leave him as he finally unlatched his lip from hers. Not wanting to waste any more time, Gordon let her go and nodded sadly. It was time. Alyx climbed back into the air vent, looking back down at Gordon one last time. He looked back up at her and she saw several emotions flash across the usually stoic expression he wore.

"Alyx. . .when you're out of the base. Fire off three shots to let me know. And. . .and I'll blow the charges."

He then handed her his crowbar and remained stone-faced as he spoke, "Tell Barney he can have this back. I don't think I'll be needing it anymore," and Alyx nearly burst into tears again, but held strong this time. Alyx nodded wordlessly, as grim-faced as he was. His features changed briefly, as he gave her a somber smile, but no words. And she didn't need any. The smile he wore said it all.

It was a smile that was saying goodbye.

Gordon watched Alyx started to disappear down the vent, and all he could hear was she crawling away from the room until it was drowned out by the Combine's efforts to break down the heavy door. Finally, it came down with a crash and Combine flooded in. Gordon fired his pulse rifle at the soldiers, keeping them at bay for a few minutes as they were unable to proceed in such a tight doorway. After a while though, their numbers became too much and the ammo ran out. The soldiers fell on Gordon, who started to beat at him down to the ground with the stocks of their rifles. He fell to the ground and endured their beating before it stopped and he was hoisted up by his suit's collar by an Overwatch Elite. Then Gordon heard it. It was so muffled and far away that you would've missed it unless you were waiting for it.

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

The Elite spoke into his communicator as he held Gordon, "We got Freeman."

Then, to the surprise of the Combine forces watching, Gordon started to chuckle which then turned into a howling and almost crazed laughter as the soldier stared at him. The Elite slammed his gun into the man's chest, and Gordon fell to the ground next to the computer. The Elite soldier aimed his weapon down at the laughing Freeman, demanding to know why the hell he was laughing. Had the great Gordon Freeman finally lost his mind?

"No, I got you."

The soldiers were suddenly aware of all the bombs in the corners of the room. The soldiers then looked back at Freeman, who slammed his hand down on the console. The bombs countdown started. The soldiers didn't even waste time shooting Gordon, they just ran trying to escape the base that was ready to blow.

_**Three. . .**_

_**Two. . .**_

Gordon smiled to himself, closing his eyes as he waited. Nothing the soldiers could do could stop him now. He had done it. The last thing he thought of was Alyx and the two's first, and unfortunately last, kiss.

_**One. . .**_

_**X X X**_

Even though she was a great distance away from the Combine base, Alyx could feel the heat as the facility exploded. She fell to her knees and watched as the entire place went up in flames and crumbled in on itself. She held the crowbar in her hands tightly, white-knuckled as she didn't try to fight the tears as they cascaded down her face. She stayed there for a while, just watching as the once huge building that was now just rubble burned. Alyx felt a presence coming up behind her and she turned around, half hoping if it was Gordon. Maybe he'd gotten out. Maybe. . .

Her face fell as she saw it was only Barney and a few other resistance members. Calhoun was all smiles as he jogged up to her.

"Hey, Alyx! Hell of a light show you guys put on. Gordon sure knows-"

He stopped his cheerful quip as he saw Alyx in the fire's glow. Tear streaked and shaking like a leaf, the girl looked like she had been through hell and back. Barney's smile went away as he knelt beside her.

"Jesus, kid. What happened?", Barney looked around, noticing something wasn't right and his heart sunk as he dreaded what he was about to ask, "Where's Gordon, Alyx?"

When she didn't answer or meet his eyes, Barney repeated his question, voice cracking softly, "Where's Gordon, Al-," he stopped as he saw what Alyx was holding in her hands. Gordon's crowbar. She was gripping it tightly as though if she let go of it, she'd die. He felt tears brim up as he put a hand to his mouth, shock and despair overwhelming him.

"Oh no. No, no, no. Not Gordon."

Barney just kept repeating those words as he fell to the ground, emotionally destroyed before his pleas were drowned out by tears. The two friends held each other and sobbed as the building that claimed their friend's life burned on and signified the end.

The end of the Freeman.


End file.
